Posts Tagged ‘shoveling’

Ugh, Snow & Response to yesterday’s tip on bookbags & backpacks….

Saturday, February 13th, 2010

More snow. Really?!?

When will this winter end?!?!? We have just barely shoveled out from the blizzard this past week, when I am hearing rumors of another storm coming this week. I am not going to post on shoveling anymore- really there is nothing left to say. I am going with last weeks tip- hire some local kids to shovel for you. UNCLE!!!!!

Backpacks & Bookbags…

I received a few responses to the post on bookbags & backpacks. They all pretty much said the same thing. Here is a sample from Stephanie:

Hey Andy, unfortunately in Middle School and High School, the lockers are very small and a rolling book bag will not fit! Go figure!! You should feel Josh and Arielle’s back pack with all of their books and laptop. It weighs about 25lbs and that is the absolute truth. The bigger the kids get, the heavier their bookbag gets and the smaller the locker gets!
I have heard this before, and it boils down to how much of a pest you are willing to be to your kids. I have heard more than once that most kids have so much stuff they need to carry, that they aren’t keeping stuff in their lockers anyway- so why not just keep the roller with you?  Also, more and more kids are carrying laptop computers, and a good roller will add the benefit of having a protective compartment for this expensive piece of kit. So, if you can convince your kids to ignore the ‘dorkiness’ factor of having a rolling bookbag, you have the opportunity to save them from potential future aggravation.
Stay tuned for Part 3 of my Fibromyalgia series on Monday.
Have a great weekend/ Valentine’s Day/ Chinese New Year!
-Andy
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More Snow, How to get Back Together- books and DVDs…

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

And yet, more snow….

And Philadelphia is now buried under about 4 feet of snow. I really have nothing more to say about how to shovel snow safely- at this point, what’s the difference? If you have been around here a lot, you know that I really consider Miami home- and boy do I wish I were there right about now. Ugh. here’s a photo of how I looked as I made my way out of the house for a Starbucks run:

I'm almost warm enough...

I'm almost warm enough…

How to get Back Together…

I’ve received a few emails from people asking if I had a book for back pain sufferers. First of all, thank you for joining me here, and yes- I have both a book and a DVD available.

The book, Back Together- Hands-on Healing for Couples from Running Press / Perseus Publishing is available at your local bookstore and from Amazon here.

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At the moment, the DVD program is available only from my website here, however it will soon be available from Amazon as well. You can check out the preview page here. It says ‘currently unavailable’ under purchasing options, but this will be updated in the next couple of weeks.


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Thanks for checking in. If you are in the Northeast U.S.- be safe.

Best,

Andy

B.T.T.o.D: Hire a local kid to shovel your driveway.

Monday, February 8th, 2010

Thank you to Jen G. for your ‘gag’ tip of the day, and to everyone else who submitted feedback on the snow shoveling piece from yesterday. We are still digging ourselves out here in Philadelphia, and now we are expecting another 12-24 inches on Wednesday. Man I hate the winter.

Have a great day!

-Andy

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Shoveling More Snow, iPhone/iPad App, Amazon & Thank You!!!

Sunday, February 7th, 2010

The second massive snowstorm this winter…

Well, Philadelphia is still digging itself out from yesterday’s snowstorm, which means one thing- I am going to be swamped in my office this week. As I said after the last snowstorm, there’s really no ‘back friendly’ way to shovel your driveway and walk. When there is this much snow (24 inches plus where I live) it is pretty overwhelming no matter what you do. There are a few things you can do to help reduce your risk:

1) People forget that shoveling snow is a workout, and as with any workout a pre-exercise warmup and stretch is mandatory. Take a short walk before you start, and then a brief stretch, concentrating on your hamstrings and lower back.

2) And, as with any strenuous activity you need to stay hydrated- refuel throughout the shoveling.

3) Push the snow to the edges of the area you need to shovel before you start to lift it off the ground.

4) Take frequent rests to break the snow up into more manageable ‘chunks.’

5) If you can, get an ergonomic shovel which will help you to maintain good mechanics.

These tips won’t keep you from being sore, but they may help you to prevent a more serious injury.

iPhone / iPad App is coming…

Watch this site for some upcoming information on the upcoming iPhone / iPad Back Together application. The announcement of  the new iPad opened up a whole bunch of other possibilities for video, so we are re-tweaking our initial concept a little to offer you the most powerful back pain resource available for the iPhone / iPad platform.

Back Together on Amazon…

Amazon has been a really great site for selling my book- Back Together- Hands-on Healing for Couples, and soon you will be able to purchase the DVD program there as well. Our page is up, so you can check it out here. You should be able to purchase sometime in the next week or two.

Thank You!…

The Back Together community continues to grow, due to your support. Every month, I am seeing more visitors, emails, and messages here on the blog. For that I am grateful- so thank you. However, Back Together can continue to grow to become one of the most useful resources for back pain on the internet. So tell your friends, your family members, your coworkers- anyone who has back pain and who is looking for ways to get their pain out of their life.

Have a great weekend, and be well!

-Andy

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Atrium at the Please Touch Museum, Philadelphia.